The Cardinals (72-69) trail the Reds and Padres by two games. The Philadelphia Phillies (72-70) are 2½ games back.
According to FanGraphs.com, the Reds have a 43.9 percent chance of winning the wild card. The Padres have a 39.1 percent chance.
» BENGALS: Five things to know about opener
The Reds have 19 games remaining and will play 13 games against teams with losing records. The Padres have 21 games to play and have no more games against teams with losing records.
Here’s how their schedules compare:
• Reds: Sept. 12, at Cardinals; Sept. 14-16, at Pittsburgh Pirates (52-90); Sept. 17-19, vs. Dodgers (90-53); Sept. 20-22, vs. Pirates; Sept. 23-26, vs. Washington Nationals (58-84); Sept. 28-29, at Chicago White Sox (81-61); Oct. 1-3, at Pirates.
• Padres: Sept. 12, at Dodgers; Sept. 13-16, at San Francisco Giants (92-50); Sept. 17-19, at Cardinals; Sept. 21-23, vs. Giants; Sept. 24-26, vs. Atlanta Braves (75-66); Sept. 28-30, at Dodgers; Oct. 1-3, at Giants.
The winner of the second wild-card will play on the road against the Giants or Dodgers, whoever doesn’t win the West Division, on Oct. 6. That game will air on TBS.
About the Author